Fishing rod



Oct. 4, 1932. 1.. J. LANE EISHING ROD Filed June 18; 1930 I'NVENTOR LILane BY p 8W, mmfawm ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 4, 1932 I UNITED STATES P T NT ioFF ce l- LEAVITT J. LANE, on NEW HAVEN, comvnorrour, 'Assienon, BY nnsnn'sssrenivinnrs, TO WINCHESTER REPEATING ARMS COMPANY, A CORPORATION or MARYLAND FISHING, non v Application filed June 13,

This invention relates to fishing rods and more particularly to casting rods.

In the past casting rods have been made of bamboo and have generally been made in sections. It has been proposed to construct a casting rod of solid steel in a single piece with the rod tapering from the butt to the tip to provide the desired stiffness at the butt end and the desired flexibility at the tip.

The present invention relates to improvements in solid, metal, one-piece casting rods. One of the undesirable features of the present one-piece rod is the diiiiculty of removing it from the socket of the handle. In rods of jointed construction, such as the bamboo rods referred to above, the sections are connected to each other by ferrules which must fit tightly to have the rod function properly. These bamboo rods, however, are of comparatively large diameter and it is therefore easy to obtain a good grip on the sections of the rod to assemble it and disassemble it. In the onepiece steel rods the diameter is much less and it is difficult to grip the rod firmly even when the users hands are dry and the weather is warm. In fishing, the hands of the fisherman are frequently wet and when the fishing is done in cold weather the hands are frequently numb. Under such conditions it is frequently difficult to remove the one-piece rods heretofore made from the socket of the handle. Frequently the fisherman leaves the rod assembled for several days and it is then even more difficult to assemble the rod dueto corrosion. Regardless of the metal used in the the socket. I also provide a section betweenthe enlargement and the butt end which is not tapered but which is of uniform cross section. Beyond the enlargement the rod 1930. Serial N0. 460,941.

tapers gradually to the tip end. The provision of;this section of uniform crosssectionnot only facilitates gripping the'rod toremove it from the handlesocket, but also affords a proper distribution of the weight and provides the desiredstiifness adjacent'the butt of the 'rod and the desired flexibility adjacent the tip I I In the accompanying drawing I have shown one form of the'invention. In this 6? showing, 1 i

Fig 1 is a sideelevation of-the rod show-v ing the rodarranged in the handle socket; v Fig. 1A is a similar view of the upper end of'therod;

' V 1 Fig 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the butt end of the rod removed from the handle and showing the ferrule in cross section; a

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the tapered portionof the rod on line 3-8 of Fig.2;and 1 Fig. 4 is a similar view of the section of uniform diameter on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 1 designates generally a rod of steel alloy or other suitablematerial having the desired amount of tensile strength and resiliency and which is capable of withstanding torsional strains to which the rod is submitted in use. The rod may' be of any desired length andcomprises'a section 2 extending from the tip to" a point adjacent the butt. This section 2 is tapered gradually toward the tip end. In the drawing it is shown 'of polygonal'cross section, but it is, ofcour'se, understood that this is not an essential feature ofthe-invention and that the section 2 of therod may be of any cross section. At the end ofthe section 2 of the rod, I provide an enlargement 3 which may be-knurled as W shown inFig. 2 of the drawing. Beyond the enlargement the rodv is of uniform cross sec- 1 tion as indicated at 4 to the butt end as clear- I ly shown in. Fig. .2 of thedrawing. 'A. fer rule 5, preferably of brass, is arrangedon the butt end of the rod. and this ferrule is provided with a shoulder .6 at a suitable distance'from its end.

V The butt end of the rod is adapted to be received in a socket 7 of the handleshown'in in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The handle comprises a grip portion 8 and a reel receiving portion 9 to which a reel (not shown) may be detachably secured. The rod is provided with the usual guides 10 at suitable intervals throughout its length, the guides being secured to the rod by supporting members 11 of wire on each side of the guide, the ends of which are arranged along the rod and secured thereto by ferrules or 001* lars 12.

In operation the rod is. used in the usual manner, the reel being detachably mounted on the reelreceiving portion-9 of the handle and the line being extended through the guides 10 withthe lure employed in casting secured to the end of the line. By constructingthe rod of a-single piece of tempered steel,

portion of uniform diameter extending for a substantial distance from the butt, the remainder of the rod tapering toward the tip.

2. A one-piece metal fishing rod in accordance with claim 1 having an enlargement at the outer end of the portion of uniform diameter- In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

LEAVITT J. LANE.

the rod may be considerably smaller in cross section than the bamboo rods heretofore employed. The elimination of joints throughout the rod also affords a better distribution of the weight as the weight is not localized at spaced points on the rod as in a-jointed construction. In'arod of this character stifiness is desired adjacent the butt end and .fiexibility; adjacent the tip so that the tip end may curve and permit the lure cast to go into the waterv at the desired point. This desired feature is obtained by the tapered portion 2 and the portion l adjacent the butt end of the handle of uniform cross section. I do not wishto limit'the'invention in, any

way to the relative length of the tapered ,por- 7 tion and the cylindrical portion 4 as this may vary in the construction of rods of different diameters and length andalso in the construction of rods adapted to be employed for different purposes, but as a general -illustra tive statement, the tapered portion extends throughout the major portion of the length of the rod and is about five-sixths'of the entire length. The cylindrical portion includes a section of about three inches in length which is received within the ferrule 5 and which is therefore disposed practically wholly within the socket 7 when the rod is assembled- The enlargement defining the junction of the tapered portion 2 and the cylindricalportion 4 is arranged from three to fiveinches beyond the inner end of the ferrule so that when the handle is assembled as shown in Fig. l. of the drawing, it can readily be disassembled by grasping the handle in one hand and grasping the cylindrical portion 4 of the rod in the other hand with the thumb and forefinger in contact with the enlargement and pulling the two apart. The exact position of the enlargement 3 will-depend upon the desired distribution of weight in any given construction and will be arranged at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 4. I

I claim: V

l. A one-piece metal fishing rod havingv a 

